Sheriff Accused of Sex With Inmates

Sheriff Kenneth Bean and four other current or former Jackson County, Tennessee Sheriff's Office employees are accused of sexual misconduct with female inmates. Bean surrendered to the T-B-I yesterday on an 18-count indictment.

The sheriff says the allegations could have been coordinated by inmates and says he'll fight the charges in court.

T-B-I spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said investigators found evidence that the five officials had been sexually engaged with as many as ten jail inmates since 2005. The contacts are said to have occurred in the jail and in the sheriff's office in Gainesboro.

Bean was released yesterday on ten-thousand dollars bond and says he plans to continue as sheriff.

Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit that accuses Bean of using his law enforcement position to extort sex from a Jackson County woman for a decade is set to go to trial November 13th in Cookeville.